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jay «ui 01 dUUdiu‘ USLAST WORDSrccchctic*Down in Flames’paiarewhtheda;.ELKTON, Md. (AP) — The crewman’s voice was calm.:eiwflifIn measured cadence it bore what, the crewman-must Have known were his last words: Clipper 214 is going down in flames.” '- Clipper 214 was a Pan American Airways flight bound tor Philadelphia Sunday' night. It broke up, caught tire 'and dropped' flaming debris over a mile-square area north of here, killing ail 81 persons aboard.It was a giant Boeing 707 four-engine jet. It had stopped in Baltimore for 50 minutes on Its way from Puerto Rico.BuwoToVoice Over RadioPaul Alexy said the voice over the plarie, radio was 'probably that of Capt. George Knuth of Huntington Station, N.Y., or that,of the first officer, John R. Dale, of 'Port' Washington,, N.Y Alexy. was-on the other end of the radio'beam-,in.the Philadelphia; Airport control-' tower,A in atter-of-fact niariof 44, lie was in - the, Elkton -firehouse Monday when Federal Ayiatioij Agency officials played a tape recording df: 214’s -last radio broadcast, . : : •It began with 214 calling Philadelphia;' Philadelphia apr proach, 2}4 holding over. New Castle: (Del.).” ■ ' • •' '. Ale'xy. replied: 214 hold.west of New Castle ,., Philadelphia overcast.. Five aircraft have elected to hold until winds pass You elect to hold until squall lino passes?” . •214; Yes, elect to hold.Flight PatternthimAlexy then gave the Pan Am liner holding instructions- and flight pattern. He began doing the same for other planes hov cring in the rain above Pennsylvania.214: We’re ready to start an approach.Alexy told 214 to hold his flight pattern. He said he would give landing instructions in a few minutes.214: Roger, no hurry. Just wanted to' know we’ll accept clearance, -Alexy’s dead pan voice then informed other flights of severe turbulence over the area,Then a voice broke in relaying its message as if reporting nothing more serious than a windshield wiper on the blink: Clipper 214 out of control .,. Here we go.”Alexy: Clipper ‘214 did you call Philadelphia?214: Clipper 214 is going down in flames.Alexy: Clipper 214, Roger, message has been received.The recording stopped. Newsmen asked Alexy what he had ' done next.After receiving the call, he said, “I instructed the controller to contact New Castle and have It cleared of ail aircraft below 5,000 feet”K
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Pasadena Independent
Pasadena, California, US
Tue, Dec 10, 1963
Page 1
Full Page
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AL, USA 09 Apr 2024
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